The 5 Best Chinese Restaurants in NYC

In 1903, the New York Times described the Chinatown clientele in inimitable fashion: “It is the men and women who like to eat after everybody else is abed that pour shekels into the coffers of the man who knows how to make chop suey.” Well into the 1950s, Chinese restaurants in New York were still Americanized, offering saucy, sweet items like orange chicken, chop suey, and sweet and sour pork. Fast forward to today, when kitsch-free restaurants serve up serious versions of Sichuan, Hunanese, Shaanxi, and Cantonese dishes.

Travel to Flushing, Queens, where you can find subterranean malls with stall upon stall of delicious dishes, like soup dumplings that will transport you to Shanghai, and Hunan-style lamb cooked soft in cumin and pepper. Head Manhattan’s Chinatown and you will discover an extraordinary dim sum restaurant and tea house that dates back to 1920. No matter how far you want to travel or how much you’d like to spend, one of these Chinese restaurants is sure to hit the spot.

Here are our five favorite Chinese restaurants in NYC.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Address and phone: 13 Doyers St (212-962-6047)
Website:nomwah.comGood for: Incredible dim sum; the most satisfying brunch in NYC
The iconic Nom Wah first opened on Doyers Street—a small, crooked pocket of Chinatown that looks like a movie set—back in 1920 as a bakery and tea parlor. In late 2010, Wilson Tang updated the restaurant under the watchful eye of his uncle Wally Tang—don't worry, he kept all the charm and helped make the Cantonese-style dim sum even more spectacular by 86ing the usual dim-sum cart economy and making everything to order. Get the shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings, and three delicate wheat wrappers stuffed with minced shrimp will be delivered to your table. The sticky rice served in a lotus leaf, and the rice rolls with fried dough, are not to be missed either. Pair your dim sum with a pot of chrysanthemum tea and take in your surroundings—the place looks like a cross between a Parisian brasserie, a Chinese restaurant, and an old-school NYC diner. This is, more or less, where you should brunch on Sunday for the rest of your life.
Order this: Shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings; sticky rice served in a lotus leaf; shrimp rice rolls; shumai; Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce; sesame balls with lotus paste

Xi'an Famous Foods

Address and phone:Multiple locations (212-786-2068)
Website:xianfoods.comGood for: Affordable noodles and snacks from the underrepresented Shaanxi province
Xi'an began as a modest stall at the Golden Mall, a subterranean food court in the heart of Flushing, Queens. Now, the mecca of hand-pulled noodles and spicy lamb burgers has four locations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. There's arguably no $4.50 dish that's tastier than a plate of Xi'an's liang pi cold-skin noodles—chewy noodles tossed with sliced cucumber, cilantro, and cubes of spongy gluten, then finished with black vinegar and sesame and chili oil. If you're looking for something even more affordable, opt for the $3.25 spicy cumin lamb burger, a generous portion of diced lamb sautéed with jalapeños, red onions, and scallions, stuffed into a flatbread-like bun. Yes, Anthony Bourdain loves Xi'an, too.
Order this: Liang pi cold-skin noodles; spicy cumin lamb burger; spicy and tingly lamb face salad

Pacificana

Address and phone: 813 55th St, Sunset Park, Brooklyn (718-871-2880)
Website:yelp.com/biz/pacificana-brooklynGood for: Dim sum
Most people are familiar with Manhattan's Chinese options and the endless array of restaurants and stalls in Flushing, but fewer folks realize that Brooklyn also has its own vibrant Chinatown in Sunset Park—one that you'll definitely want to hit if you're a dim-sum obsessive. Pacificana is epic in all ways: 450 seats, more than 150 menu items, and a seating system that seems to work differently depending on your ability to speak Cantonese. The inevitable wait and barely controlled chaos is well worth it though—all of the standards are on point (fatty spareribs, chive-packed dumplings with a perfect sear, platters of cirspy-skinned roasted pork), and there's plenty of opportunity to get adventurous with unusual options like Hong Kong–style duck tongues marinated in soy sauce.
Order this: Spare ribs with bean curd, five-spice seasoned chicken feet, pork-and-chive dumplings, roasted pork, marinated duck tongues

Nan Xiang Dumpling House

Address and phone: 38-12 Prince St, Flushing, Queens (718-321-3838)
Website: nanxiangusa.com
Good for: The best soup dumplings of your life
When you make the trek out to Flushing, do not miss this temple of soup-filled Shanghai dumplings, or xiao long bao. Order a steaming tray of the dumplings, which come filled with juicy pork and fragrant, savory broth. These are so much better than what you'll find at Joe's Shanghai. But be careful, the broth inside is insanely hot. You might want to try this method: bite a small piece of the skin from the side, sip the broth, then go H.A.M. on that dumpling.
Order this: Trays and trays of xiao long bao

Hunan Kitchen

Address and phone: 42-47 Main St, Flushing, Queens (718-888-0553)
Website:yelp.com/biz/hunan-kitchen-of-grand-sichuan-flushingGood for: Exploring the smoky specialities of the Hunan province
If you want to break out of your takeout holding pattern, Hunan Kitchen's extensive menu offers a delicious window into the cuisine of Hunan—one of China's smaller, interior provinces and the birthplace of Mao Zedong, whose portrait you'll see on the wall. The cooking is bold and soulful, with much of the menu devoted to throwback Hunan specialties featuring offbeat and delicious ingredients like pork stomach and eel. Bring a crew to work through as many dishes as you can, but don't miss the memorable spicy frog, served on a sizzling platter with Chinese okra, ginger, a gang of garlic, and three type of mouth-searing chilies.
Order this: BBQ pigs’ feet, lamb with cumin flavor, sautéed string beans, hot and sour spicy frog, pepper-smoked beef

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